You Are the Blood
by snarleyow
Summary: "The world is ugly. The only way to protect yourself anymore is to become even uglier. You understand? Nobody is afraid of the dark... they're afraid of what lurks in the dark. But if I am the thing that lurks in the dark - if I am the danger - then I don't have to be afraid of anything anymore."
1. Good Intentions

What I'd give for a working power outlet right now.

The world was quiet, save for the sounds of the dead roaming the streets. The only thing I heard anymore on a daily basis were their ugly grunts and groans as they shuffled along in irregular footfalls. I missed music. I didn't much like my own voice, so humming never did the trick for me.

Looking down below, it seemed that the geeks caught wind of something, and were closing in on the building. Of course I'd knocked out the barricade on the door to the rooftop on my way up here (damn thing busted my cutters), so I was up shit creek if they decided to do some exploring my way.

Figures. I guess the city really is a bust.

I turned around to glance briefly at the appendage that lay still on the concrete next to the big metal pipe. It was clearly a man's hand, probably a big guy. I had no idea what went down here but there didn't seem to be quite enough blood lost. He probably used a tourniquet... did it to himself. Coming up here was probably a horrible idea in hindsight, but how was I to know? Nothing's predictable in times like these.

It wasn't always like this. The beginning of the end sure took me by surprise. But, well... you ought to know the story.

I looked back down towards the street and didn't see the geeks anymore. In fact, there were a few lying motionless on the ground.

And then I heard voices from the stairwell, coming closer, and closer, until the door swung open and hit against the wall, several men pouring out onto the rooftop. I didn't have time to hide and nowhere to run as I swerved to face them.

"Merle!" the first one through the door shouted. He was carrying a crossbow and had a frantic countenance. "Merle!"

There were four of them in all; crossbow guy, a black guy with a pair of bolt cutters, a cop in uniform, and an Asian guy in a cap.

Crossbow guy ran towards the pipe and when he caught sight of the hand that lay beneath it, his panicked expression twisted into one of horror, and as he turned to face me, anger. I still hadn't had time to react to the situation when he started yelling in my face.

"Where the fuck is my brother!?" he screamed as he pushed a hand into my chest. "What did you do?"

I was already up against the edge, and even though there was a guard in place to prevent me from falling, I could sense every inch of space behind it.

"Answer me god damn it!" he shouted some more.

"I don't know where your-"

Again, I didn't quite have time to react before I felt the man's knuckles connect with my jaw. It was quite possibly the hardest I'd ever been hit in my life.

Not long after, the man was yanked back by one of his companions. I rubbed the side of my face tenderly and looked up again to see crossbow guy being barely restrained by the cop, with the help of the black guy. The Asian guy just stood there looking as disoriented as I felt.

"Talk," the cop blurted, presumably to me.

"I was trying to," I groaned, still rubbing my sore jaw. "I don't know where your brother is, man. I don't even know 'em. I just got here."

"You tellin' me this is just coincidence?" crossbow spat.

"Makes sense," the black guy conceded. "Ain't nothing to gain freeing a Dixon."

Crossbow shot him a look that meant to kill.

"No reason to cut the man's hand off, either," the cop nodded as he freed his companion. "Lay off, Daryl."

I wiped the blood from my mouth as Crossbow - Daryl - turned to the black man. "You got a... do-rag or somethin'?"

The man pulled a blue bandana from his pocket and handed it to Daryl, who used it to wrap up his brother's disembodied hand. "I guess the sawblade was too dull for the handcuff," he mumbled, inspecting the hand. "Ain't that a bitch."

Once it was all wrapped up he beckoned the Asian guy over and stuck it in his backpack, much to the other man's dismay. The black man stepped over the pipe to pick up a box of tools that had tumbled over and the cop turned to me.

"You feel like tellin' us just exactly what you were doing up here?" he asked, authority dripping from his voice. It only irritated me.

"I'll be honest with you, sir," I said, picking up my dented metal bat from where it lie on the ground. "I don't think it's any of your business."

The cop took a step towards me. "Look, I decided to trust your word," he said quietly in a voice that sounded like a threat. "It'd be good of you to mind your manners and keep my suspicion low."

"I don't think it's in good manners to punch first and ask questions later," I replied, looking into his light eyes. I continued before he could reply. "Just passing through. Looking for a place to hole up for the night. Doesn't seem like I'll be finding that."

The Asian guy shot me a sympathetic look, or maybe he was still disgruntled about the bloody hand in his backpack.

Daryl glanced at the blood splattered across the ground and began to follow the trail it left to the other side of the building. The others began to follow, but the cop glanced at me after a moment.

"Why don't you uh..." he let his suggestion hang in the air, jerking his head towards his companions, an indication for me to follow. "I'd feel better if you came along instead of skulking around back here."

"I was just planning to take my leave," I replied, shrugging.

The cop placed a hand on his hip. "Look, just tag along for a bit. Maybe we can get your mouth looked at."

I briefly ran my tongue along the inside of my mouth that must have been cut by my teeth when Daryl punched me. I winced as it stung, and I wondered how bad it looked by now. I shrugged, slinging my bat over my shoulder, and followed the cop along with the others, and was led down some stairs while Daryl shouted for his brother some more.

Daryl and the cop took the lead, holding their weapons out in front of them, while the rest of us followed behind. The building was relatively quiet, a few geeks littering the rooms every now and then. It wasn't long before we came across a room that had two of them laying lifeless on the floor.

"Guess he had enough in 'im to take out these two sumbitches," Daryl noted. "One-handed."

"Impressive," I remarked.

"Toughest asshole I ever met, my brother," he replied as he reloaded his crossbow.

"Any man can pass out from blood loss," the cop interjected, holding his gun at ready once more as he stepped forward, "no matter how tough he is."

The black man and the Asian guy stayed silent as we surveyed the scene before moving forward. I heard the cop finally reprimand Daryl for shouting, reminding him that we weren't alone here.

There was a stove with a burning flame still illuminating the dark room that may have once resembled a kitchen. The two men in front inspected the area, and after finding a bit of burnt flesh, came to the conclusion that Daryl's brother cauterized his wound.

I could see the Asian guy's face wrinkle up again at this discovery. Must've been pretty weak-hearted around this stuff, not that I could blame him for that.

"Told you he was tough," Daryl muttered. "Nobody can kill Merle but Merle."

I thought briefly that he might have just been trying to reassure himself, but the evidence did show that this Merle guy was a force to be reckoned with.

"We'll take that on faith," the cop replied. "He's lost a lot of blood."

"Yeah?" Daryl walked off to exit the room and follow the trail. We all followed as he continued. "Didn't stop 'im from bustin' outta this death trap."

The window on the far side of the room was busted open, glass littering the floor around it. Daryl bent down to get a look outside, and I finally heard the Asian guy speak. "He left the building?" he asked incredulously, his voice sounding as young as he looked. "Why the hell would he do that?"

"Why wouldn't he?" Daryl replied. "He's out there alone, as far as he knows. Did what he's gotta do... surviving..."

"You call that surviving?" the black man questioned. "Just wandering out in the streets, maybe passing out? What're his odds out there?"

Daryl rounded on the lot of them. "No worse than being handcuffed and left to rot by you sorry pricks."

Both of them dropped their gazes to the floor, looking ashamed. Oh boy. I knew I'd stumbled into something I wanted no part of.

Daryl turned to the cop. "You couldn't kill 'im. I ain't so worried about some dumb, dead bastard."

"What about a thousand dumb dead bastards?" the cop asked, leaning in. "Different story?"

"Why don't you take a tally? Do what you want," Daryl replied. "I'mma go get 'im."

As he stepped forward the cop put a hand on his chest to restrain him. "Daryl, wait-"

"Get your hands off me! You can't stop me!"

"I don't blame you," the cop spoke evenly. "He's family, I get that. I went through hell to find mine. I know exactly how you feel. He can't get far with that injury. We can help you check a few blocks around, but only if we can keep a level head."

Daryl stared at him a moment and pursed his lips. "I can do that."

The cop nodded imperceptibly and glanced over at the rest of us.

The black man shook his head a moment, his resolve fading. "Only if we get those guns first," he conceded. "I'm not strolling the streets of Atlanta with just my good intentions, okay?"

The Asian guy nodded in agreement and then the cop turned to look me in the eyes.

"What, you giving me a choice?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

I glanced at Daryl, whose returning stare was no longer filled with hate. He looked like he just wanted to find his brother now. Thinking on it for a moment, I hadn't planned to get involved with others yet, but I supposed these things found you and not the other way around... at any rate, if Daryl didn't already owe me, he certainly would now.

I nodded at the two of them. Maybe this series of events would lead me to shelter for a night or two.


	2. Driveby

"You're not doing this alone."

"Even I think it's a bad idea, and I don't even like you much."

We all stood around in the office, the Asian guy having just relayed his plan to retrieve the guns. The cop and Daryl were quick to give their opinions on the idea, but I remained silent.

"It's a good idea," he defended. "Okay? If you'd just... hear me out."

The cop kneeled down to listen to him while I stood further away, on the other side of Daryl. He was still the only name I knew among these men, and I felt that even though we weren't acquainted by a long shot, I'd gotten to know the back of his hand pretty well.

"If we go out there in a group," he continued, "we're slow... drawing attention. If I'm alone, I can move fast. Look," he pointed down to his makeshit map on the ground. "There's a tank about five blocks from where we are now. That's the bag of guns," he set down small objects to represent the tank and guns and pointed to another area, looking to the cop. "Here's the alley I dragged you into when we first met. That's where Daryl, new guy and I will go."

"Why us?" Daryl asked.

"Your crossbow and his bat - quieter than his gun," he replied. He looked back to the cop. "While Daryl and new guy wait here in the alley, I run up the street, grab the bag. You and T-Dog, right, you'll meet me in this alley here."

I glanced at the black guy, who I could only assume was T-dog. He nodded.

"Two blocks away? Why?" the cop asked.

"I'm not gonna be able to come back the same way," he replied, shaking his head. "Walkers might cut me off. If that happens, I won't go back, I'll go forward instead. All the way around to the alley where you guys are. Whichever direction I go, I've got you in both places to cover me. Afterwards we'll all meet back here."

"Hey, kid," Daryl nodded to the Asian guy. "What'd you do before all this?"

He looked confused. "Delivered pizzas... why?"

The cop raised an eyebrow and looked back at us with an odd expression. Daryl shook his head slightly. I couldn't help a smirk pulling at the corner of my mouth.

* * *

><p>We climbed down the ladder from the fire escape into the alley, myself being the last to hit the ground. The three of us shuffled towards the dumpster, ducking behind it momentarily as Daryl loaded his crossbow.<p>

"You got some balls for a chinaman," he remarked.

"I'm Korean."

"Whatever."

Daryl and I crouched in wait as Mr. Korean guy shimmied out of his flannel and slunk further on down the alley towards the open fence. He looked around and shot out onto the sidewalk, disappearing around the corner. I couldn't see what he was doing now, but I listened intently for any unusual commotion from the geeks.

I felt Daryl tense up next to me before abruptly standing and aiming his crossbow at a young guy who had apparently snuck up behind us. I hadn't noticed, but then, my attention had been fixated on our ally. I stood as well, raising my bat.

"Woah, don't shoot me!" the boy hollered. Too loud. "What do you want?"

"Lookin' for my brother, he's hurtin' real bad." Daryl replied, though I doubt he expected an answer. "You seen 'em?"

_"¡Ayúdame!"_

"Shut up! You're gonna bring the geeks down on us," Daryl reprimanded, shoving his crossbow further in the air. "Answer me!"

His efforts were in vain, however, as the boy continued to cry for help. Daryl finally reached his limit and smacked the kid square across the face with the side of his crossbow. Immediately I knew it to be a stupid move, as the boy continued to scream, ever louder, as he writhed on the ground. I lurched forward to yank Daryl off him, but as I did, I felt something hard press into my back with force, sending me tumbling down to the pavement as well, my bat rolling out of my hand.

Regaining my composure and whirling around to face our assailants, I saw that the man who had kicked me had a big, ugly mustache. There was another one, who quickly grabbed my bat and went after Daryl. Against my better judgement I clamored to help him, but the mustachoied guy got ahold of me and used his much larger stature to get me back on the ground, hitting the back of my head against the pavement in the process. He wasn't finished with me by a long shot, and he delivered another boot to my gut.

"That's him!" I heard one of them shout. Despite my blurred vision I turned my gaze to the end of the alley to see our missing ally with the bag of guns.

A whirlwind of things happened then, as the men left Daryl and I and hurried over towards our ally. I heard them shouting "take it" among other things in Spanish and by now I knew they had him on the ground and were retreating.

There was a piercing scream that went octaves above the others, and I was finally able to raise my head to see an arrow that had landed squarely in the behind of one of our assailants.

"Get off me!" I heard the Korean shout, continuing to holler for Daryl.

I heard the noises of a car as I scrambled to my feet, though my balance was off and I was in no condition to be running. I reached the gate as the car sped off, leaving skid marks on the road. Daryl came up behind me, lacing his fingers through the fence.

"Get back here!" he shouted after them. "You sumbitches!"

I yanked the gate closed so that the geeks on the street couldn't reach us, and Daryl turned around to deliver a brutal punch to the boy that had been left behind.

About that time I saw our other remaining allies hurrying down towards us.

"Woah, woah, woah!" the cop hollered as he pushed Daryl back. "Stop it!"

"I'm gonna kick your nuts up in your throat!" Daryl spat at the boy who was being held by T-dog. "They took Glenn! This little bastard and his little bastard _homie_ friends!"

Glenn... right. I guess I would learn everyone's name in time without having to ask. Introductions were never something I enjoyed, anyways.

I leaned over, my hands on my knees and spat out a bit more blood onto the pavement.

"I'm gonna stomp your ass!" Daryl continued to roar, pointing at the boy.

T-dog pointed out the growing number of geeks behind us and everyone abruptly went into escape mode. The cop grabbed his guns and grabbed ahold of my arm, pulling me along with the group. I wiped the blood from my mouth and allowed him to drag me on down the alley, and it wasn't long before it dawned on me that the bastards stole my bat, too.


End file.
